


face to face

by fabrega



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Multi, Post-Canon, Social Media, Use Your Words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21795435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabrega/pseuds/fabrega
Summary: Piers makes a PokéSnap account.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan, Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan/Nezu | Piers, Kibana | Raihan/Nezu | Piers
Comments: 46
Kudos: 535





	face to face

**Author's Note:**

> Vague spoilers through the end of Sword/Shield! Title is, very technically, from a Kate Nash song. Thanks so much to smarsh, cai, and allie for the beta. ♥♥♥

Piers is still getting used to his PokéSnap account.

He hadn't had one until very recently. He'd never seen the need. He's famous enough without one, and he would rather be battling--or writing songs--than taking photos. But then he'd done a series of exhibition matches against Raihan, who'd taken plenty of pictures and insisted on tagging him in every one. So he'd created an account under Raihan's supervision, P1ERSO61. (He'd wanted PIERS061 but, of course, waiting so long to create an account meant that somebody else had been able to take that account name before he could.) Raihan helps him set it up so that he'll only get notifications from users he follows, and then he follows the other PML folks, because it kind of feels like he has to.

He's posted one photo of his own, a picture of him and Marnie together when they were younger. He tags Marnie in it and, on her advice, also tags it #tbt. She doesn't tell him what it means. The members of Team Yell leave a ton of nice comments on it.

Mostly, though, he forgets that he has the account, except when Raihan snaps another picture of them together and tags him in it.

(When he does remember, he thinks that maybe he should post something else. But he's mostly in Spikemuth, and nobody wants to see pictures of Spikemuth, not for reasons he's comfortable with. Maybe he should snap a pic of the lyrics he's been working on? But those almost feel too personal to share--he knows who he's writing songs about these days.)

* * *

Raihan takes a picture of the meal that's laid out in front of them, a hearty plate at Bob's Your Uncle after an exhibition match in Circhester. Piers doesn't realize that he's been tagged in the photo until his phone buzzes on the table; he picks it up and sees the photo (which looks almost more delicious than it does here in person) and also the caption (which is: _can't wait to put this in my mouth_ ).

Piers sneaks a look at Raihan. He's digging in to his food, exactly the way you'd expect. He looks up and catches Piers's eye, and he smiles.

On the table, Piers's phone buzzes... and buzzes... and buzzes.

Raihan tips his head, giving Piers a quizzical look. "Seems like you should probably--" he says, at the same time as Piers says, "Sorry, I should--"

Raihan laughs. Piers feels his face heat up, and he picks up his phone. Marnie had better be dying, there's no other excuse--

The phone screen shows notifications from PokéSnap. Not just notifications, but _so many_ notifications. Piers scrolls through them, but they're all pretty much the same: _DandyLeon has liked a post that you're tagged in._

Piers doesn't know Leon that well. They've made small talk two or three times at PML functions over the years, but Piers certainly wouldn't consider him a friend. Acquaintances, maybe. Colleagues, probably. Leon and Raihan are...closer, obviously, but that's still not an explanation for fifty likes in the span of about three minutes.

The last notification is different: _DandyLeon has commented on a post you're tagged in._ Piers opens the post. It's a selfie of him and Raihan, taken after their match earlier today. Raihan's Pokémon had used Rain Dance, and all of them, Pokémon and trainers alike, had gotten soaked through.

Leon's comment reads: _looks like you two are having fun._

Honestly, the photo doesn't look fun. It looks damp. His hair is a flat mess. Even though Raihan had slung an arm around Piers's shoulders, even though the damp smile Piers had felt like he was forcing actually reaches his eyes, it doesn't really look fun.

And the way the comment ends with a period, instead of an exclamation point--that's weird, right? Leon seems like a guy who doesn't shy away from a good exclamation point.

Piers shows his phone to Raihan. "You gettin' these too?"

Raihan pulls out his phone, looks at it, makes a face. For the first time in all the time they've spent together, he looks uncomfortable, a little bit unsettled.

"You an' Leon," Piers says, the start of a question. There's an end to that question, probably, although Piers really can't figure out what it is.

"We're rivals. Mates. We haven't spent much time together lately, because he's been busy, and so have I. But he doesn't need to be--" Raihan stops. The look he gives Piers is...complicated.

Piers realizes after a moment that he's holding his breath.

"I think you two would get on," Raihan finally says. He gives Piers what feels like a hopeful smile, and Piers smiles back.

* * *

Piers pauses outside of the door of Raihan's place, fiddling idly with his choker. It's not too late. He can still turn back. He can't go home yet because Marnie would give him hell about it--she's been teasing him relentlessly about what she says is his _bleedin' obvious crush_ , in true little sis fashion--but he could text Raihan an apology and go sit in a cafe for a while. It's not too late.

The door opens in front of him, and Piers looks up into Raihan's smiling face.

Piers lets himself get ushered into the living room, where, as expected, Leon is waiting. That's the whole point of this get-together, a few weeks after Circhester: getting whatever weirdness out into the open. It seems to be working, because Leon jumps to his feet to greet Piers, offering him a handshake that turns into a great big Bewear-hug. Piers does his best to hug back, even though it feels like all the air has been squeezed out of him.

"I've been watching your matches," Leon says, once he pulls back. "Your dedication to not Dynamaxing your Pokémon is impressive."

Piers shrugs. He has his reasons, and after all the trouble with Chairman Rose and those two fake-royal weirdos, Leon can probably guess what they are.

"The way your little Toxtricity took down Raihan's Gigantamaxed Duraludon! Wow! I was truly inspired."

"Hey!" Raihan interjects playfully. "He got _lucky_."

"Looked like skill to me," Leon says, a shit-eating grin on his face.

"I thought we were friends," Raihan says, putting a hand on his heart theatrically. It seems to strike a nerve, though, because Leon gives him a sour look.

"Some of it _is_ luck," Piers says, trying to break the tension. "I won a couple. You won a couple. That's what makes it fun."

Piers means this, actually means this. It's why he likes his place in the PML order, because the challengers who make it as far as Spikemuth--when they do make it--are good enough to offer a challenge. The feeling of performing, of doing his best at a thing that he loves, win or lose, he loves that feeling. That's why he does what he does.

"Must be nice, to win a few," Leon says, staring meaningfully at Raihan. Now Raihan is the one with the sour look.

"Hey, we all got our arses handed to us by at least one twelve-year-old in the gym challenge, don't try an' pretend like your egos are still intact," Piers says. There's a beat where both Leon and Raihan just look at him, but then they begin to laugh.

"It's good you're here, Piers, to keep me in my place." Leon grins broadly.

"Yeah," Raihan says, a little more quietly, "It's good that you're here."

* * *

They order takeaway and eat it in the living room, Raihan and Leon on the sofa, Piers in a big armchair near the TV. They watch the Gym Challenge broadcast as they eat. The challengers have made it to Nessa's gym and a lot of them are very bad, which is very fun to watch. (Milo really ought to stop endorsing everyone who asks.)

Piers excuses himself to the toilet partway through the third match, where he looks at himself in the mirror for probably too long, trying to figure out what exactly is going on here, with Leon and Raihan and him. Piers likes Raihan, a lot. He's tall, handsome, successful, and fun. He's sought Piers out and wanted to spend time with him, even outside of their matches. It's been a long time since he's felt like somebody wanted to spend time with just Piers, not Piers the Gym Leader or Piers the musician.

...but then there's Leon.

Piers sighs, flushes and washes his hands and tries to pretend that he hasn't been having a small crisis. He cracks the door open, ready to head back out, but stops when he hears Leon's voice from the living room, just loud enough to be heard over the match on TV.

"What are you waiting for?"

If he's talking to Raihan, Raihan doesn't answer.

"What are you afraid of?"

Still no answer.

"You _do_ like him, right?"

 _I do,_ Piers whispers to himself, at the same time as Raihan says, "Yeah, I do."

Piers's jaw drops open.

Leon laughs. "And?"

"And he's a rockstar! He might not act like it, but I know that he's out of my league."

Piers snorts. There is no universe in which that is true.

"Raihan," Leon says patiently, "I don't know if you know this, but you're the _great Raihan_. You're the Champion's rival--"

"-- _ex_ -Champion's rival--"

"--a super-cool Gym Leader _and_ a PokéSnap influencer. You're a catch, mate."

Raihan groans. "Please don't call me that."

"What, 'Gym Leader'?"

It goes quiet. Piers can imagine the way Raihan is rolling his eyes.

"Look, you can make a move, or I can make it for you," Leon says. "I know that's not why I'm here, but--"

"What about you?" Raihan interrupts.

It goes quiet again, the only noise Nessa's match on TV. 

"He's been gone for a long time. Do you think he got lost?"

"Only you get lost on your way to the toilet, Leon," Raihan says, laughing. 

Piers takes that as his cue. He steps back into the toilet and closes the door, as silently as he can. He texts Marnie a series of exclamation points and then reopens the door loudly and goes out to rejoin the others.

"What'd I miss?" Piers asks as he comes back.

Leon and Raihan exchange an incredibly unsubtle look.

"The last kid threw out a Vulpix out against Nessa's Goldeen," Raihan says, a beat too late. "It was a bloodbath."

Piers chuckles and moves to sit back down in the armchair.

"There's room for you on the sofa, if you want," Leon says.

Piers looks to Raihan, who nods. Leon's on Raihan's far side, half-tucked up under Raihan's arm with his legs dangling over the far end of the sofa. With that in mind, Piers pauses, tries to figure out how close is too close to sit, how far is too far.

"He's a good cuddler, man," Leon offers. Raihan sputters and pulls his hat down over his eyes, but Leon just shrugs. "I call it like I see it. You can see it too."

Piers smiles and takes a seat, a little closer to Raihan than he might have. Raihan pulls his hat up enough to make eye contact, and he smiles too.

* * *

"I _am_ sorry," Leon says to the room, after all of the day's matches are over.

Piers has spent the last little while creeping slowly closer to Raihan on the sofa, and he's close enough to feel the way Raihan elbows Leon to continue.

"I was being a wanker, on PokéSnap. I'd put a lot of myself into being the Galar Champion, and losing that wasn't easy for me. Then, when you and Raihan started battling so often--and not just battling, but spending so much time together--I started to worry that I might be losing something else I cared about. I didn't handle it well."

Piers had only half-expected an apology this evening. He absolutely hadn't expected something so heartfelt, so vulnerable.

"I tried to pretend I was being friendly and cool, but I wasn't, and I knew I wasn't. I'm sorry."

"Why didn't you _say_ something?" Raihan asks. He sounds truly flabbergasted.

"What was I supposed to say? 'Raihan, I can see that you're happy and that upsets me'?" Leon laughs, a little bitterly. "Besides, I've been busy with the Battle Tower. Even if you wanted to make time for me, who knows if I could've made time for you."

"You would've," Raihan says. "You did. I'm sorry too."

Piers is suddenly feeling extraneous. Turns out, maybe this apology wasn't for him. That's fine, but if Leon and Raihan are gonna kiss and make up, he really doesn't want to sit through it. He shifts on the sofa, moving to go--but Raihan grabs his wrist before he can go anywhere.

Leon also grabs at his wrist a half-second later, twisting and lunging across Raihan to catch hold of him. He initially catches hold of the sleeve of Piers's jacket, grabbing hard onto one of the protruding spikes at the wrist, before swearing and managing to seize his hand instead. "Why the hell are you so sharp?"

"Sorry, it's my aesthetic," Piers says distractedly. He's staring at where the others are holding onto him. It feels surreal.

"Don't go," Raihan says.

Leon's grip on his hand shifts a little. "Yeah, please stay."

"Not sure I could go anywhere if I wanted to," Piers manages.

"Good," Raihan says. He doesn't let go.

Piers takes a deep breath. If Leon can be clear and honest about his feelings, then Piers, the artist, can do the same. "Raihan, I like you--like, _I've been writin' stupidly sentimental lyrics 'bout you_ like you."

Raihan makes a small, slightly preposterous noise, one that warms Piers all the way down to his toes. (It's nearly enough to make him ignore the _oooooooooo_ coming from Leon.)

"I like you too," Raihan says. "In case you hadn't guessed."

"Good," Piers says, the warm feeling expanding in his chest. "Good. But I'm gonna need to know what's goin' on with you an' Leon before whatever this is goes any further."

Raihan looks to Leon, his gaze an obvious question.

"We're...friends with benefits?" Leon says cautiously, disentangling himself from Piers and Raihan and sitting up. Raihan gives him an angry look. "Or, is 'rivals with benefits' a thing? I dunno, mate, how would you categorize _having a very public rivalry and hanging out sometimes and occasional handjobs after matches_?"

Raihan covers his face with his hands, slinking down in his seat, while Piers stifles a laugh.

"What? I thought we were putting all our cards on the table."

"Well," Piers says, trying to be diplomatic, "It definitely puts everythin' into context."

Raihan groans, slinking lower and lower until he's slid all the way off the sofa and onto the floor. The hood of his hoodie slides up as he slides down, so that by the time he's flat on the floor, all Piers can see of his face is the teeth of the hood.

"You okay down there?" Piers sits forward on the sofa, a little concerned.

Instead of looking concerned, Leon nudges Raihan with the toe of his trainer. "He's a diva. He'll be fine."

Raihan glares from inside his hoodie. "I hate you."

Leon nudges him again. "That's not true and you know it."

"So there's me, an' there's Leon." Piers pauses. They've come back around to the same problem he started with. "An' there's you."

Raihan throws an arm across his eyes. "This would be so much easier if I could just date both of you."

"Why can't you?" The words are out of Piers's mouth before he can even stop to think about it.

Raihan uncovers his face to stare at Piers. "Because that's not usually how it works?"

"Y'know, I'd have thought the guy who loved double battles would be more into this idea," Leon says. "You've never been about how things usually work, and you've always been about having twice as much as everyone else. Seems perfect for you."

Raihan barks a laugh. "Guess I hadn't thought about it like that. You're not wrong." He climbs to his feet, looks to Leon and then again to Piers. "What do you two think?"

"Seems like it's worth a shot," Piers says. He wouldn't have suggested it if he wasn't on some level okay with it. He doesn't mind sharing; it turns out he doesn't mind Leon generally. If he's going to share Raihan with someone, he's glad it's Leon.

Leon, for his part, takes a moment longer to respond. "How much snogging would there be, and with who?"

Raihan smiles, spreading his hands wide. "Me for certain, as much as you want. Piers?"

Piers is taken aback for a second. He hadn't really thought that part of this through. "I'd snog Raihan for sure, as much as he wants. Leon...I'm willin' to be persuaded." Piers winks at Leon, which startles a laugh out of him.

Raihan comes over to the sofa and drags Piers to his feet. Piers is not used to being manhandled, and wow, does he like it. "Can I--?" Raihan starts to ask, but before he can get the full question out, Piers has already risen up onto his toes, grabbed the front of Raihan's hoodie, and kissed him. Raihan's mouth is soft and demanding against his, nothing Piers had expected, everything he'd wanted. No matter what they end up deciding, this makes all of it worth it.

Leon must get up off the sofa sometime while this is happening, because when Piers and Raihan finally break apart, Leon is right there. Piers stays close to Raihan for a minute, his forehead against Raihan's chest, just breathing. When he has his feet back under him, Piers steps back, giving Raihan and Leon their turn. Leon pushes his hat back and waits until Raihan nods at him to kiss him. It's...intense. Piers knew that the thing between Raihan and Leon was complicated. Both of them had said so. But seeing it in action is something else entirely.

Piers feels like it should be awkward, standing here, but somehow it isn't.

When Raihan and Leon pull apart, Raihan looks absolutely floored. "You mean to tell me that we were giving each other furtive handjobs in the Hammerlocke stadium locker room when we could've been doing _that_ instead?"

Leon laughs. "Hey, I didn't know it was an option either." He waggles his eyebrows at Piers before stepping in close. There's a pause, while they assess each other, and then Leon reaches out and traces a finger around the ring on Piers's choker. Piers shivers. Leon hooks his finger through the ring and tugs, pulling Piers close. His lips ghost over Piers's for a second and then they're kissing--it's different than kissing Raihan, but not in a bad way. It's less passionate, more playful, a series of short, teasing kisses that leave Piers chasing after Leon's mouth.

He wonders, fleetingly, if battling Leon feels like this, always chasing, never quite catching up. He wonders if that's why Raihan liked it so much.

"So," Leon says when he steps back, close and yet infuriatingly far away, "Was that persuasive?"

Piers laughs. "I've been convinced. How 'bout you?"

Leon looks mock-thoughtful. "Dunno, might need to try it again, just to make sure."

Raihan steps up to them, puts an arm on each of their shoulders. His phone is in his hand. It flies out in front of the three of them and snaps a quick photo. 

"To remember our victory," Raihan says, smiling.

In his jacket pocket, Piers's phone buzzes. He pulls it out and sees that he's been tagged in a photo. The three of them are all smiling, and the caption says: _looking forward to it_.


End file.
